SC notice to CBI on probe into names in Panama Papers

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation on a PIL seeking a probe by the agency against the people named in the Panama Papers.

A bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh issued notice on the plea by advocate M.L. Sharma, who also sought an investigation against the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) chief, his associates and others, for, what he said, was the market regulator’s failure to act on the issue.

A notice returnable in four weeks has also been issued to the SEBI, the Reserve Bank of India and the union finance ministry.

Even as top court issued notice, the central government has already constituted a Multi-Agency Group comprising various agencies inquire into the list of about 500 people named in the Panama Papers.

Seeking probe against the SEBI chairman, his associates, share-holders and share brokers and the certain companies under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and SEBI regulations, Sharma has said that even though market regulator was aware of the circulation of P-notes and that of the off-shore accounts of some companies way back in 2007, yet it did not move into the matter.